H O W A R D TEMIN
BIOGRAPHY Howard Temin was a scientist in the twentieth century who was shunned by his peers during his initial research, but made discoveries crucial to understanding certain diseases. Temin grew up in Philadelphia and became interested in biology in high school. He pursued a degree in biology and studied virology in his graduate program. During his graduate studies of the Raus Sarcoma virus, he became enthralled with this virus that could cause cancer. In the 1960’s, Temin taught at The University of Wisconsin-Madison and performed experiments in the McArdle Lab on this type of virus that could cause cancer. Here he developed his controversial DNA provirus hypothesis. This hypothesis argued that the central dogma of genetics could be wrong for some types of viruses. He went on to prove his hypothesis with the discovery of an enzyme called reverse transcriptase.
Raus Sarcoma Virus
HIS RESEARCH
The common belief about genetics at the time revolved around the central dogma of biology. This stated that genetic information moved only in one direction, from DNA to RNA and from RNA to proteins. This dogma was accepted everywhere in the world and was almost as certain as gravity in people’s understanding of genetics. Howard Temin was puzzled because the viruses he studied that caused cancer were RNA viruses but acted as if they had DNA. This means that the viruses only contained RNA for their genetic material, but they were able to alter the DNA of their host cell. This behavior violated the central dogma because the flow of genetic information happened backwards, from RNA to DNA. When Temin challenged the central dogma, he was met with apprehension and denial from the scientific community. He remained determined to prove his hypothesis. Temin researched for six years to understand how these viruses worked in the RNA to DNA direction, and eventually found an enzyme that he called reverse transcriptase that allowed the genetic information to be translated in that direction. This proved his theory, and a new class of viruses called retroviruses were made. Another scientist, David Baltimore, discovered the same enzyme at almost the exact same time and both of these scientists received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1975. Temin proved that there is an exception to the central dogma of biology, and initiated a new
understanding of how RNA viruses work. This discovery paved the way for research on HIV and other retroviruses that cause cancer.
MONUMENT TO Howard Temin deserves a monument because he exemplified great courage in his work when almost nobody believed him. Our understanding of science can be flawed at times, and it takes revolutionary discoveries to prove that. Scientists that propose seemingly outrageous theories are often dismissed, but sometimes they hold the key to understanding something that has puzzled scientists for years. This memorial acknowledges Temin’s work, while reminding us that we should not dismiss revolutionary ideas because we are secure in one line of thought.
HOWARD TEMIN Temin was not a man concerned with himself and personal praise, but he did value his research greatly. Because of this, his monument does not depict Temin himself, but rather the discovery he made. On the left there is a model of the RNA present in the Raus Sarcoma virus that he studied. The middle shows the enzyme, reverse transcriptase, that he discovered. On the right, there is DNA of a cell infected with a retrovirus. The sequential ordering of these elements from left to right shows that there is an exception to the central dogma of genetics.
LOCATION 1
The monument to Howard Temin would fit perfectly outside the Biomedical Research Lab on the Sci-tech campus. In this building, research is done on HIV which is the most popular retrovirus. Because of Temin’s discovery we understand retroviruses much better now, and many advancements in HIV research can be traced back to our knowledge of reverse transcriptase. This monument could serve as a reminder for the people working in this building of how far we have come, and that some discoveries can seem outrageous, but they should not be set aside as ludicrous.
LOCATION 2
The monument to Howard Temin would also fit well on the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus outside of the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research. This is where Temin conducted his research and made his discovery of reverse transcriptase. Although he had a basement “reject” laboratory, a monument at this location would honor his work. It would also serve as a reminder that sometimes all that is needed is hard work and determination, not necessarily a fancy lab and support from other scientists in the community.
SCIENCE NOW Because the scientific community now understands how retroviruses that only contain RNA can act as DNA, research on retroviruses can advance. Largely because of Temin’s discovery, we are in a much better position in the fight against HIV/AIDS than we would have been if all scientists still believed there was no exception to the central dogma. Temin would not have wanted all of the credit for this discovery however, because there were other scientists working on the same thing at the same time. These include David Baltimore (pictured top right) and Renato Dulbecco (pictured bottom right).
“Science is a communal effort what we have accomplished has rested on the achievements of others and the future and practical significance of our work will also be determined by the achievements of others.” - Howard Temin
HOWARD TEMIN 1934 - 1994